Just minutes to live…

Strokes and heart attacks are frightening. And it’s not just because of the damage that can happen to your heart and brain if you survive. Most people are also aware that they have just hours if not minutes to get life-saving treatment.

So if there were a method that only took a few minutes but would allow you to prevent these killers, and possibly live 30 percent longer, would you want to know what it is?

The method to end the madness of stroke and heart attack is to do something physical. Vacuum the house. Change the oil in your car. Paint one of the rooms in your house. Rake the leaves. Shovel the snow.

Anything.

Research on 4,000 60-year-olds that tracked their health for more than 10 years shows that merely gardening and fixing things around the house are exercises that are good enough to shrink your chances of heart attack and stroke while boosting life expectancy by up to 30 percent.

“Our findings are particularly important for older adults, because individuals in this age group tend, compared to other age groups, to spend a relatively greater proportion of their active day performing [routine activities] as they often find it difficult to achieve recommended exercise intensity levels,” the researchers conclude.

The study shows that you don’t have to perform a regimented exercise program to enjoy longer life and better health. You just have to stay generally active. That can include activities like pulling weeds in the backyard, mowing the lawn or changing belts on your car’s engine.

The highest level of daily physical activity was linked to a 27 percent lower risk of a heart attack or stroke, as well as a 30 percent drop in the risk of death from any cause during the study.